A Year Ago
by xXMoonlight ShadowXx
Summary: After a year of living with such a chaotic, dysfunctional pair one would generally start to become immune to this level of crazy, Zero often thought to himself. No such luck.


**Okay, so I'm stepping a tad out of my comfort zone by writing a piece that came to me after watching the anime (and nearly burning myself with the toaster...but that's a different story)...I only just started watching it about a week ago . anyway, I apologize if this doesn't flow as well, the pairing is still new to me (but I do love Zero).**

"Owww!"

After a year of living with such a chaotic, dysfunctional pair one would generally start to become immune to this level of crazy, Zero often thought to himself. He'd _hoped_ that, over time, the shock would wear off on him; that the occasional crashes, shouts, and overall lack of normalcy would become white noise to him as he adjusted to his new home.

No such luck.

Curled up on the couch with a book, Zero's eye twitched as Yuuki squealed behind him in the kitchen. "I don't get it...there's no way I put it in for that long!"

Kaien readjusted his glasses and tried to shake the hair out of his eyes. "Be patient, Yuuki. It's an old toaster, it takes time." Regardless, he was bent over the offending appliance as well.

"But it'll be burnt by the time it's done!"

Zero sighed and tried to focus back on his book. _Of all known beasts in existence none is more widely known, yet feared, than the nightcrawler itself, the vampire. A monster that preys on the blood of the weak, vampires hath been known to hide amongst humans, blindingly beautiful and with exquisite mannerisms. It is these traits that, while appealing, lure the unsuspecting victim into its grasp, where it is only aware of its dire situation until too late..._

"Hello?"

The sound of the muted voice, smooth but unnatural to his ears, made his hairs stand on end and his jaw clench. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Kaname-sama!"

Clutching the book, his knuckles only went white at the adoration in Yuuki's voice. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the image of the girl, running happily into his arms. "Kaname-sama, Kaien found a toaster up in the attic! We're trying to see if it still works, that way he won't always burn the bread in the oven."

"Aww, I don't always burn it!" Kaien whined. "I get it right sometimes, don't I? Zero?"

Zero glanced sideways at the three but said nothing. His silence, while expected, was still sad.

"How are you, Zero?" Kaname offered him a warm smile.

The breath caught in his throat as the monster addressed him. How dare he greet him like a friend, he thought to himself. How _dare_ he show his face around him, around the bumbling, good-natured Kaien, around Yuuki...innocent, smiling Yuuki...

_It is only aware of its dire situation until too late..._Did they realize what they had gotten themselves into? Did Yuuki realize that the man she adored, the man she was so excited to see every night, wasn't even truly a man, but a monster? The side of his neck burned dully, an unnatural shiver passing through his spine as he locked eyes with the vampire.

"Zero? Heeeeey, Zero!"

He jumped as Kaien appeared in front of him, waving a hand in front of him and feeling his face. "Are you okay? You feel warm."

The boy scowled deeper, his eye twitching again. Yuuki popped up in front of Kaien and pressed her own small palm to his forehead as well. "What? Zero doesn't feel well? Kaien, what should we do? He's burning up!"

"I'm fine—"

"Nooo, you can't be sick! Not tonight, I had such a special dinner planned! Zero, you _have_ to feel better!"

"I don't feel—"

"Maybe some toast will help settle his stomach? Here, it should be done soon!" Yuuki ran over and peered into the toaster again. "Oh no, I think it's burning...aaaah!"

She jumped back as two toasted rockets came flying out, nearly hitting her in the face and landing with a small, unnatural thud on the counter.

Kaname smiled at the scene, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his jacket. "How do you deal with it, Zero? You're so calm compared to these two."

Zero gave a small "hmph" and closed his book, making sure that the vampire caught a glimpse at the title as he strode past the trio. The room went eerily silent as he shut the door behind him.

"Zero?" Yuuki turned around, two pieces of burnt toast in her hands and a confused look on her face.

Kaname sighed and took the toast from Yuuki's hands. "You'll burn yourself if you're not careful," he said, placing them on a clean napkin and dusting his hands off.

Yuuki wasn't listening to him, though. "Zero," she called out again. "Zero, where are you going?" She ran out the door after him without a second thought.

It was Kaien's turn to sigh as he collapsed into a chair. "That poor boy," he mumbled and fixed his glasses again. "Something always seems to be eating at him."

"I'm probably not helping very much," Kaname admitted. "I think it will be a while before he can stand being around vampires."

He threw the ex-hunter a look. "You do know what day it is, don't you?"

Kaien pouted. "Why do you think I was making a special dinner? I wish people would give me better credit as a father..."

He sighed again and looked over at the smoldering toaster. "He seemed more spooked than usual, though. You didn't happen to see what he was reading, did you?"

Kaname's eyes roved to the door, the sight of the terrified, angry child still fresh in his mind. "_Vampires: the Devil's Agent_._"_

* * *

"Zero! Hey, Zero, open up!"

Curled in the corner of his room, Zero barely heard the girl as she pounded at the door. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. "I can't...I can't..."

Why was that monster allowed to wander freely, leaving him to tiptoe around the house like a beaten dog? Why did he continue to visit them, check up on them as if he were -he felt himself go cold at the thought of it- his next meal? Why did _he_ have to suffer?

Zero clawed at the side of his neck, trying to block out the sounds of his screaming mother, his shouting father...the blood spattered on the walls, on his clothes...his brother...

_Where did you go?_

"Zero! Why did you lock the door?"

He didn't look up as Yuuki finally stumbled in, a lockpick in hand. She didn't waste any time; kneeling next to him, she instinctively reached a hand to his to keep him from doing any more damage to his tender neck. It wasn't the first time she'd done so, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last. "I don't know what that book's been telling you, but they can't unlock doors any better than we can." For someone so naive, she was being so practical.

He wrapped his arms around his knees and pressed his face into them, still not saying anything. He never did.

"Zero...talk to me." Yet she never seemed to stop trying. "It's Kaname-sama, isn't it?"

The name made him tense up, but he refused to speak. It wasn't lost on her, though. "Stay here. I'll be back soon," she promised.

True to her word, she was back in a matter of minutes, two bowls with her. Reaching out for his hand, she gave one to Zero. "Whenever I feel down, I eat ice cream. Makes everything feel a little better." She brightened up as she took a bite. "I love strawberry."

Zero looked at the bowl she'd placed in his hands. The ice cream looked innocent enough, maybe even promising, especially as Yuuki dug into her own helping. He'd never had much in the way of sweets with his family: his teacher had been so intent on keeping them from such trivial distractions. Up until a year ago...

"My family was killed a year ago today," he finally said. His voice sounded strange to his own ears. "I thought that...maybe with time, I'd be able to forget everything. I hoped that the pain would start to go away, that I'd be able to sleep with the light off, maybe even get a full night's sleep without the nightmares. But every time I see that _monster_," he gripped the bowl in his hands. "I can feel her again. It's like she's back over my shoulder, laughing at me, tasting me like...like I was food." He clenched his jaw and tried to keep his voice from breaking. "Why won't it stop?"

Yuuki watched him sadly as he held back tears. In an entire year, this was the most he'd spoken since he'd first come to live with them; Kaien would have been ecstatic to hear him.

Then why did she feel like she was about to start crying as well? His dry sobs echoed throughout the room, filling the otherwise pained silence between them.

Yuuki finally took her spoon and a small morsel of ice cream, lifting Zero's face and pressing it insistently to his mouth. "Eat," she ordered. "I promise it'll help."

Zero didn't know why he was listening to Yuuki, why he was even talking to her. Nonetheless, he opened his mouth slowly, eyes never leaving hers as she fed him a bite. The ice cream was cold but smooth in his mouth, a taste unlike anything he'd ever had before but not at all unpleasant. He was starting to see where her personality had stemmed from.

Yuuki smiled at him, removing the spoon from her mouth. "See? It's not that bad."

Zero stared back at her beaming, reassuring face, letting the taste settle and slide down his throat. Slowly, he looked down at the bowl in his hands. Master Yagari would have never allowed something so frivolous...

But maybe this was a chance to try something new. He would always be a vampire hunter; he had embraced his destiny as such. And while the pain was still fresh in his mind at the moment, something about a simple bowl of ice cream and the girl that brought it had completely changed his perspective. His family might have been gone, but he wasn't. He was here, alive and breathing despite being attacked by a vampire. And he would continue to be here, growing stronger than ever, never truly alone. Yes...he could see it in Yuuki's eyes: he would never be alone.

Lifting his own spoon to his mouth he took another bite, much to Yuuki's delight. Her smile stretched wide across her face, completely oblivious to thoughts that were running through his head. "It's my favorite flavor," she said happily. "But chocolate is pretty good too."

It was only a matter of time until he finally opened up.

"Chocolate?" Zero murmured. He stared pensively into his bowl. "I'll have to try it."

Yuuki smiled. She knew he would be okay.

**Shoutout to xxmelrose for encouraging me to post this :D**


End file.
